Pakistan, India to resume trade talks next month

India and Pakistan will resume the trade normalisation process on the sidelines of the Safta Ministerial meeting in Bhutan next month. Both Indian and Pakistani Commerce Ministers are likely to hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the meet, Indian Commerce Ministry Joint Secretary Arvind Mehta told reporters on Tuesday.
Pakistani High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit, however, refused to give a commitment on when his country would extend the 'Non-Discriminatory Market Access' status to India as promised in the trade liberalisation schedule. "Bilateral talks have resumed. Both Prime Ministers have met and talked about all issues. We hope things will be carried forward when the time comes," Basit told the media at an India-Pakistan event organised by FICCI. Mehta said India is ready to bring down the duties on crucial items, including textiles from Pakistan to 5 percent or below as agreed to in the trade normalisation schedule. But it would happen only when Pakistan extends NDMA to India.